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52 Ancestors: Week 14, Smith and Jane (Harriman) Cram

Orginal post: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Most online trees state that Smith Cram was the son of John and Mary (Sanborn) Cram but provide no supporting evidence. Elmer H. Cram's correspondence with various individuals including Etta Reed Sheehan during the 1930s seems to be the earliest documentation suggesting this possibility. However, he nor the other researchers were able to find any proof to substantiate this claim.1 More recently, Smith was included in The Cram Sourcebook by Michael A. Cram. However, he uses only Elmer H. Cram's papers as the source for his parentage.2

Further research needs to be conducted to determine Smith's parentage. The land deeds of the various Cram families residing in the vicinity of Raymond, New Hampshire might provide some answers in the absence of documentation of Smith Cram's birth or baptism. This author has yet to find any conclusive evidence.

It seems likely that he was a descendant of John and Mary (Wadleigh) Cram based on his proximity to their descendants throughout his life. The unique given name Smith might indicate that a recent female ancestor (e.g., mother or grandmother) had the surname Smith. More detailed research regarding this will likely be presented in a later post.

Genealogical Summary

Smith Cram was born in Raymond, New Hampshire 17623,4 and died in Montville, Waldo County, Maine February 1856.5,6 He married in Epping, Rockingham, New Hampshire 30 December 1782, Jane "Janey" Harriman,7 daughter of Asa and Joanna (Beal) Harriman.8,9 She was born in Rowley, Essex County, Massachusetts 23 March 176210 and died by February 1856.

Smith enlisted 1 July 1780 for a term of 6 months in the company of Captain Jeremiah Fogg in the 2nd New Hampshire Regiment commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Reid. He was discharged prior to the end of the 6 months on 5 December 1780.11 This resulted in the denial of his pension application.4

After his service, he and his wife moved to Pittsfield about 1782.4 He is found there in the 1790 census.12 In about 1792, they removed to the northeast part of New Hampton which would become Center Harbor.4 He was amongst those who signed the petition to separate Center Harbor from New Hampton on 8 June 1797.13 He also appears on the tax list the following year.14 Also appearing are "Wadley" Cram, perhaps a brother or cousin, and Dudley "Herriman," likely his brother-in-law. Wadleigh Cram was in Pittsfield in 1790 and signed the 1797 petition as well.

About 1798, Smith and Jane Cram removed once again to Montville, Maine.4 At the time, it was called Davistown and Smith is recorded there in the 1800 census.15 The census had an additional column for "From whence emigrated." For Smith, it lists his place of birth "Raymon." The couple would stay in Montville for the remainder of their lives. They are recorded there in the 1810,16 1820,17 1830,18 and 1850 censuses. In 1850, he and his wife were listed as paupers living in the household of Joseph Tasker.19

He appears to have had financial difficulties throughout his life as he sued on multiple occasions for unpaid debts. For instance, in 1796, he was sued by Ephraim Chamberlain while he resided in New Hampton.20 After his death, his estate was found insolvent.6

Jane predeceased him, and the probate records of Waldo County list his surviving children as "Smith Cram, James Cram, Joseph Cram, Dudley Cram, Jesse Cram, Samuel Cram, + two daughters."5,6 His granddaughter Laura (Cram) Sargent stated in a letter that Smith Cram had "[e]ight boys and three girls."21 The two additional sons not included in the probate records are likely Lowell and John Cram while the daughters are likely Hannah, Mary, and Sarah "Sally" Cram.22 In 1807, he had 8 children in school in Montville.23

Children of Smith and Jane (Harriman) Cram:

  1. Smith Cram, b. N. H. about 1782; m. Abigail Coffin.
  2. Hannah Cram, b. N. H. say 1784; m. Joseph Cromwell.
  3. Lowell Cram, b. N. H. say 1787.
  4. Joseph C. Cram, b. N. H. February 1790 (calc.); m. Betsey Coffin.
  5. James Cram, b. N. H. about 1792; m. Dorcas Woodman.
  6. Sarah "Sally" Cram, b. N. H. about 1793; m. John O. D. Hannan.
  7. Mary Cram, b. N. H. 1795; m. John Tasker.
  8. Dudley Cramb, b. N. H. about 1798; m. Mehitable Tasker.
  9. John Cram, b. Me. about 1801.
  10. Jesse Cram, b. Me. about 1803; m. Martha Dutton.
  11. Samuel Sewall Cram, b. Montville, Me. 9 June 1806; m. Hannah Glidden.24

  1. Elmer Herbert Cram Papers, Box 5, Folder 277, MS 200, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.↩

  2. Michael A. Cram, The Cram Sourcebook, 3 vols. (Heritage Books, 1996), vol. 2, "The First Seven American Generations of the Cram Family, Descended from John Cram who was Granted Land at Muddy River, Boston, in 1636," 44; digital images, Google Books.↩

  3. Virgil D. White, abstractor, Genealogical Abstracts Of Revolutionary War Pension Files, 3 vols. (Waynesboro, Tenn.: The National Historical Publishing Co., 1990), 1:798; digital images, Internet Archive.↩

  4. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 2449, Smith Cram, N.H.; digital images, National Archives; imaged from NARA microfilm publication M804, roll 679. Also available at Fold3.↩

  5. Waldo County, Maine, Probate Records 32:100-101, letters of administration granted for the estate of Smith Cram, 1856; digital images, FamilySearch, DGS 7139238 > image 56.↩

  6. Waldo County, Maine, Probate Court, estate file no. 1260, Estate of Smith Cram, Montville, Maine; digital images, FamilySearch, DGS 4156872 > images 652-668.↩

  7. New Hampshire, Index to Marriage Records, Prior to 1901, unnumbered certificates arranged by first and third letters of surname, Smith Cram-Jane Harriman, 30 Dec. 1782; digital images, FamilySearch, DGS 4242879 > image 2800.↩

  8. Joseph Fullonton, The History of Raymond, N. H. (Dover, N. H.: Morning Star Job Printing House, 1875), 237-238; digital images, Internet Archive.↩

  9. Vital Records of Newburyport, Massachusetts, to the end of the Year 1849, 2 vols. (Salem, Massachusetts: The Essex Institute, 1911), vol. 1, Births, 178; digital images, AmericanAncestors.↩

  10. Vital Records of Rowley, Massachusetts, to the end of the Year 1849, 2 vols. (Salem, Mass.: The Essex Institute, 1928, 1931), 1:89; digital images, AmericanAncestors.↩

  11. "U.S., Compiled Revolutionary War Military Service Records, 1775-1783," database and images, Ancestry, New Hampshire > Second Regiment > Co - Cu > images 1531-1542.↩

  12. 1790 U.S. census, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, population schedule, Pittsfield, p. 164 (penned), Smith Cram; digital images, FamilySearch, DGS 5157137 > image 324; citing NARA microfilm publication M637, roll 5.↩

  13. "New Hampshire, U.S., Government Petitions, 1700-1826," database and images, Ancestry, Box 31-40 > Box 35: 1797-1800 > June 1-8, 1797 > images 23-28. His signature can be seen on image 27.↩

  14. State's [New Hampshire] Copy of Records of Center Harbor 1:9; digital images, FamilySearch, DGS 5510574 > image 13.↩

  15. 1800 U.S. census, Lincoln County, Maine, population schedule, Davis Town, sheet 163, Smith Cram; digital images, FamilySearch, DGS 4956023 > image 90; citing NARA microfilm publication M32, roll 7.↩

  16. 1810 U.S. census, Lincoln County, Maine, population schedule, Montville, p. 302 (stamped), Smith Cram; digital images, FamilySearch, DGS 5157116 > image 306; citing NARA microfilm publication M252, roll 12.↩

  17. 1820 U.S. census, Lincoln County, Maine, population schedule, Montville, p. 298 (penned), Smith Cram; digital images, FamilySearch, DGS 5157049 > image 170; citing NARA microfilm publication M33, roll 36.↩

  18. 1830 U.S. census, Waldo County, Maine, population schedule, Montville, p. [932] (penned), sheet 468, Smith Cram; digital images, FamilySearch, DGS 5156969 > image 942; citing NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 50.↩

  19. 1850 U.S. census, Waldo County, Maine, population schedule, Montville, p. 265 (stamped), p. 529 (penned), dwelling 156, family 159; digital images, FamilySearch, DGS 4198861 > image 517; citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 271.↩

  20. Strafford County, New Hampshire, Superior Court Records 3:328-329, Chamberlain vs. Cram; digital images, FamilySearch, DGS 8203856 > image 856.↩

  21. Letter from Laura (Cram) Sargent to her unnamed granddaughter, 1910; transcription uploaded to Ancestry by Kathryn Sargent.↩

  22. "Some Ancestral Lines of Mrs. Etta Reed Sheehan," Daughters of the American Revolution, State of Maine, Miscellaneous Records, 1939, 66; digital images, FamilySearch, DGS 8621258 > image 87.↩

  23. Montville [then called Davistown Plantation], Waldo County, Maine, Town Records, Book 1:80; FamilySearch, DGS 7595753 > image 47.↩

  24. George Walter Chamberlain, compiler, The Descendants of Charles Glidden of Portsmouth and Exeter, New Hampshire (Boston: n.p., 1925), 122; digital images, Internet Archive.↩